Phonographic apparatus



NOV- 14 1961 TAKl-:sHl AoKl PHoNoGRAPHIc APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 14, 1960 HG Z INVENTOR. 721/{55/0 UK/ BY Nov. 14, 1961 TAKESHI AOK! PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed March 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. KJKESH/ l0/d Mwah( GEA/7 3,008,720 PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Takeshi Aoki, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Fujiya Electric Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan Filed Mar. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 14,902

10 Claims. (Cl. 274-9) Y This invention relates to phonographic apparatus and more particularly to means for rotating a phonograph turntable at any selected predetermined speed.

An object of this invention is the provision of a speed change device for a phonograph turntable wherein the speed selecting means comprises a plurality of spring biased plungers or push buttons.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means for driving a phonograph turntable at selected speeds wherein the driving means includes a motor driven driving wheel and a floating idler wheel, for engagement with a turntable flange and with the driving wheel, one of which wheels has a plurality of diameters selectively operative for rotating the turntable at one of a number of different speeds.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of push button operated means for moving the idler wheel whereby diiferent speed ratios may be developed for driving the turntable at different speeds.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a push button speed changing device, for operating a speed changing lever system, wherein the operation of a plunger for a predetermined speed restores the previously operated plunger to normal inoperative position, and wherein one of the plungers sets the device in the off position.

The above and other objects may be apparent from a consideration of the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof.

lIn the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, with parts broken away and parts in section showing the novel speed adjusting means;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on 'the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5 5 of FIG. l, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary section similar to FIG. 5 showing a modification;

FIG. 7 is an elevation showing a further modification;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section on the line `8 3 of FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary section on the line 9-9 of FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 10 is a section on the line 10--10 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like parts are represented by like characters of reference throughout the several gures, in FIGS. l and 5, there is shown a frame on which there is mounted a motor 21 having a drive shaft 22. The drive shaft 22 is provided with a driving wheel 23 hai/ing a plurality of driving rims 24, 25 and 26. A channel bracket 27 is mounted on the frame 20 and supports a pivot pin 28. A lever 29 is pivoted at one end on the pivot pin 2S by means of a boss 30 whichis rotatably and slidably mounted on the pivot 28. Y

A turntable 31 is rotatably mounted on a boss 32 on the frame 20, and is provided with a downturned flange 33. The outer surface of the turntable 31 including the flange 33 may be provided with alayer of friction material 34, such as rubber or the like. A floating arm 35 nited States Patent ()P Y 3,008,720 kPatented Nov. 14, 1961 ICC having a U-shaped end 36 is pivotally mounted on the free end of the lever 29 by means of a pin 39 engaging openings 37 and 38 in the legs of the U-shaped end, and is retained thereon by means of a spring ring 40. The free end of the arm 35 carries a bearing pin 41 on which an idler wheel 42 is rotatably mounted, and is retained thereon by means of a spring ring 43. The idler wheel 42 has a friction tire 43 for engagement with the driving wheel 23 and the flange 33. A spring 45, connected to the arm 35 and the frame 20, urges the idler wheel 42 into engagement with the driving wheel 23 and the ange 33. The frame 20 is provided with an opening 46 to accommodate the floating arm 35 and the idler wheel 42.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, I shall describe the means for moving the idler wheel 42 laterally and axially of the driving wheel 23. The channel shaped member 27 is provided with a plurality of openings, such as 48 of FIG. 3, in the upper iiange 27 thereof to accommodate the push buttons 49, 50', 51 and 52. Corresponding openings, such as 53 in FIG. 3, are provided in the frame `20. The lower ange 54 is provided with a plurality of openings, such as 55 in FIG. 3, to accommodate the plungers 56, 57, 58 and 59 provided as extensions of the push buttons 49, 50, 51 and 52 respectively. Springs, such as 60 in FIG. 3, surround the plungers 56, 57, 5S and 59 and tend to urge them to the normally inoperative position of plungers 49, 50 and 51 in FIG. 2. The plungers and push buttons 49, 50, 51 and 52 are provided with laterally extending pins 61, 62, 63rand 64, respectively, which slide in slots 65, 66, 67 and 68 respectively, in the channel 27 A plate 69, having slots 7 0` and 71 therein which engage over pins 72 and 73 respectively on the channel 27, is slidably mounted on the back of the channel 27. The sliding plate is urged to the left in FIG. 1 by means of a spring 74 having one attached to a lug 75 on the plate 69 and the other end attached to a lug 76 on the channel 27. An opening 77 is provided in the plate 69 to clear the lug 76 during sliding of said plate 69. The sliding plate 69 is provided with a plurality of slots 77, 78, 79 and 80, having on one side thereof cam surfaces 81, 82, 83 and 84 respectively, and bayonet recesses 35, 86, 87 and 88 respectively.

An L-shaped lever 89, having one end shaped somewhat as a `T is pivoted on a pin 90 mounted on the rear of the channel 27, and is retained in position by means of the spring ring 91. The horizontal portion of the lever 89 is provided at its outer end with a notch 92, which embraces a pin 93 extending laterally from the boss 30. A plurality of notches 94, 95 and 96 are provided in the right end of the channel 27, as seen in FIG. 2, to accommodate the pin 93 mounted on the boss 30.

The T-end of the vertical portion of the lever 89' is provided at its ends with notches 97 and 98 in register with the paths of the pins 62 and 64, respectively. An elongated opening 99, with a reduced end 100 is arranged so that the enlarged portion clears the pin 63 and the reduced end 100 forces the lever 89 to occupy its median position when engaged by the pin 63.

Operation Although the operation of this device should be apparent from the above description, a rsum is hereby given. The tire 44 on the idler wheel 42 is shown, in

FIG. 5, in engagement with the step 24 on the driving or 95, withwhich it was previously engaged. Further ad- Vance of the' pin 64 causes it to engage the notch 98 to move the right end of the lever 89 downwardly as seen in FIG. 2. These two movements just described lower boss 30' and the lever 29" and rotate same tocarry the idler wheel 42 rst away from the drivingV Wheel 23 and the flange 33, then downwardly axially of the driving wheel 23'. As the notch 92 in the right end of the lever 89 registers with the notch 96 in the channel 27, the pin 64 moves past the cam 84 into the bayonet recess 88, and the plate 69 moves to the right, in FIG. 3, to allow the boss 30 and lever 29 to rotate and` permit the engagement of the idler wheel 41 with the step 24 on the driving wheel 23 and with the flange 33, under the iniluence of the spring 45. The operation of the push buttons 50 and 51 is similar and need not be described further. The bayonet recess 85, engageable by the pin 61 is shallower than the others, 86, 87 and 88, and allows the plate 69 to return only part way to the right, in FIG. 4, and, therefore, the pin 63 rotates the lever 2.9 only enough to maintain the idler wheel 42 clear of the driving wheel 23, so that the turntable 31 remains stationary.

In the modication in FIG. 6, the frame 120, the motor 121, the drive shaft 122, the driving wheel 123, the pin 128, the lever 129 and the boss 130 correspond to similar elements in FIGS. l5. The lever 135 carries a pin 141 on which a stepped idler wheel 142 is rotatably mounted, and which operates in the same manneras the idler wheel 42, previously described. The pin 163 on the boss 130 operates in the same manner as the pin 63. The push button operating mechanism for this modiiication may be that of FIGS. l to 5, and the plate 169 and lever 189 on the `flange 127 may be `the same as the corresponding elements in FIGS. l to 5. The difference is, of course, the driving wheel 123, which is cylindrical, and the stepped idler Wheel having diameters 124, 125 and 126 decreasing from the lowermost. The step 124 engages the dniving wheel 123 at all speed ratios, and engages the flange 133 on the turntable 131 in the position for the highest speed ratio. In the other speed ratios, the step 125 engages the turntable flange 133', for the intermediate speed, and the step 126 engages the flange 133 for the lowest speed. The operation of moving the idler wheel 141 rstaway from the driving wheel 123, then axiallyV thereof, then toward said driving wheel is performed inthe same manner as for the corresponding operation in FIGS. 1 to 5.

In FIGS. 7, 8, 9 and 10, a further modified form of speed changer is shown. The motor 221 is mounted? on a frame 220 and is provided with a shaft 222 -carrying a driving wheel 223, having steps 224, 225 and 226. Av channel 227 is mounted onthe underside of the frame 1220 and has La pin 228 mounted in the flanges thereof. A Z-shapedlever 229 having a boss-230 on the lower arm thereof is rotatably and slidably mounted on the pin 228. v A turntable 231 is rotatably mounted on a bushing 232 and -has adownturnedflange 233. A shaft 241 is loosely mounted in an enlarged opening 237, in the upper armA of the 242 is rotatably mounted-on the shaft 241. A spring 245 connected between the lug 238 and the frame 220 urgesthe Z-shaped lever downwardly, and urges the idler wheel 242 toward the driving wheel 223-and the ange 233. The idler wheel has a cylindrical tire portion 244 anda tapered tire portion 224'. A series of push buttons 249, 250, 251, and 252 is mounted in suitable openings in the frame 220 and in the upper ange 227 and have reduced extensions 256, 257, 258 and 259, respectively, engaged insuitable openings in the lower ange 254 of the channel 227. Springs such as 260` in FIG. 8 surrounding the extension 256, surround the extension 257, 258 and 259, to urge the push buttons 249, 250,

251 and 252 upwardly. Pins 261, 262, 263 Land 264 are provided on the push buttons 249, 250, 251 and 252, respectively, and extend laterally therefrom. The channel 227 is provided with vertically extending slots 265, 266, 267 and 268 to accommodate the pins 261, 262, 263 and 264 respectively, and permit vertical movement of the push buttons; A plate 269 having horizontal slots 270 and 271 is mounted in the channel 227 and pins 272 and 273 mounted on the channel 227 ride in the slots 270 and 271, respectively. A spr-ing 274 mounted on a lug 275 on the plate 269 and on a lug 276 on the channel extends through a slot in the plate 269 and urges the plate to the right, in FIG. l0.

The plate 269 is provided with a plurality of slots 277, 278, 279 and 280, substantially in register with the slots 265, 266, 267 and 268, respectively. The slots 277, 278, 279 and 280 are provided on one side, the left in FIG. l0, with downwardly and inwardly extending cams 284, 285, 286 and 287, to be engaged by the pins 261, 262, 263 and 264, respectively in their downward travel, to move the plate 269 to the left, in FIG. 10. The lower ends of the slots 277, 278, 279 and 280 terminate at their lower end in bayonet notches 285, 286, 287 and 288 respectively, each of which notches forms a locking means to engage its respective pin and to hold the respective push button in operative position, as will later` appear.

A bell crank lever 289 is pivoted on a pin 290 affixed to the front of the channel 227 and is retained thereon bya spring ring 291. The bell crank lever 289 has a substantially horizontally extending arm, extending to the right, in FIG. 7, and is provided on its free end with a finger 292. The linger 292 engages a pin 293 extending laterally from the boss 230 to lift the lever 239, as will later appear. The downwardly extending arm of the bell crank lever is T-shaped, for a purpose later to appear. The ends of the T-head are provided with notches 297 and 298, respectively, engageable by the pins 262 and 264.- Motion of the pin 262 downwardly will rock the bell crank lever counter clockwise and the linger 292 engaging the pin 293 will raise the lever 239 and the idler wheel 241 to its highest position. In the stem of the T-head there is a large opening adapted to clear the pin 263 and which is reduced at its lower end as at 300` to be engaged by the pin 263 to bring the lever to its median position. Engagement of the pin 264 with the notch 298 will rotate the bell crank lever 289 clockwise and the lever 229 will descend against the finger 292 under the inlluence of the spring 245.

A clearing .plate 301 is mounted on the face of the channel 227 back of the lever 289 and has an opening 302 to clear the pin 290. Horizontal slots 303 and 304 are provided to clear pins 305 and 306, respectively, to permit sliding movement of theI plate. A spring 307, having one end attached to a lug 303 on the channel 227 and the other end attached to a lug 309 on the plate 301 urges the plate 301 to the left, in FIG. 7. An opening 301a is provided in the plate 301 to accommodate the spring 307. Slots 30110, 311, 312 and 313 are provided in the plate 301 to respectively accommodate the pins 261, 262, 263 and 264. The slot 310 has a cam face 314 extending inwardly and downwardly as seen in FIG. 7, for the purpose of moving the plate 301y to the right in FIG. 7. The lower part of the slot 310l registers with the slot 265 when the push button 249 is depressed.

Movement of the push button 249 downwardly causes the-pin 261 to engage the cam 281 to move the plate 269 to the right in FIG. 10 to release any other depressed push button. In this movement, engagement of the pin 261 with the cam 314 moves vthe plate 301 to thel right, in FIG. 7, and the end 315 of the plate 301 engages the pin 392 to rotate the leverl 229 to bring the idler wheel 241 away from the driving wheel 223. The spring 245 will urge the lever 229 downwardly and the mechanism will bein the olf position.

Depressing another push button, say 252, will cause the pin 264 to engage the cam 284 to release the push button 249 and the plate 301 will freturn to normal inoperative position allowing the idler wheel 241 to engage the driving step 224 of the driving wheel 223. This drives the turntable at its highest speed with this system. Depressing the push button 251 irst moves the plate 269 to release the push button 252, and rotates the bell crank lever 269 to its median position. This lifts the lever 229V and the idler wheel 241 which slides along the driving wheel 223 to the step 225. Movement of the idler wheel 241 upwardly along the driving wheel 223 is assisted by the tapered portion 315 and the tapered portion 241' on the idler wheel 241.

From the above, it should be understood that depressing the push button 250 releases the push butto-n 251 and causes elevation of the idler wheel 241 to the step 226. Here, too, the motion is assstedby the tapered portion 316, and the tapered tire portion 244 on the idler wheel 241.

It is believed that the operation of this form of the device should be apparent from the foregoing description. It is to be understood that while a preferred construction and several modiiications have been described, further modiiications may be made within the skill of the art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a phonograph apparatus, a frame, a motor mounted on said frame and having a driving shaft, a driving wheel mounted on said driving shaft, a turntable rotatably mounted on said frame, a pivoted lever rotatably and slidably mounted on said frame, an idler wheel connected with said pivoted lever for transferring torque from said driving wheel to said turntable, one of said wheels having a plurality of diameters to drive said turntable at any selected one of a plurality of predetermined speeds, a bell crank shifter lever mounted on said frame for operating said pivoted lever, push button means for operating said shifter lever including a plurality of longitudinal extending plungers, each having a pin projecting laterally therefrom, a shifter plate cooperating with said shifter lever and said plungers mounted adjacent said plungers and parallel to the longitudinal eXtent thereof, shifter plate having a plurality of openings therein one for the pin on each plunger, a cam edge on each opening whereby the pins slide the plate transversely of the plurality of plungers, said pivoted lever having a finger on one end, a furcation on one arm of said bell crank lever engaging said finger, and means on the other arm of said bell crank lever engageab-le by certain pins for rotating said bell crank lever.

2. The structure as dened in claim l including four push buttons, Ithree of which cooperate with said bell crank lever, there being a bayonet slot at the lower end of each opening in the shifter plate for locking the plunger associated therewith in operative position.

3. The structure as defined 4in lclaim 2, wherein the bayonet slot cooperating with the plunger pin on the fourth push button is of less depth than -those connected with the other openings, whereby the plate is permitted to return a less distance and retain the idler wheel out of contact with the driving wheel in the off position.

4. The structure according to claim 1 including spring means acting to move the plate in the direction oppesite the movement by the cam means.

5. The structure as defined in claim 4 including notches on the frame adjacent the shifter plate and the bell crank lever engageable by the finger to retain the pivoted lever in adjusted position.

6. The structure as dened in claim 1 including a second shifter plate between said bell crank lever and said first shifter plate, said second shifter plate having a plurality of openings registering with said pins on said plungers, one of said openings having a cam edge to engage a pin on one plunger to retain the mechanism in olf position.

7. The structure as defined in lclaim 6, wherein the second shifter plate locks the mechanism in the off position.

8. The structure as deiined in claim 6, wherein the first shifter plate is provided with a bayonet slot at the lower end of each of the openings therein to lock the plungers, and wherein the second shifter plate has the opening for the first plunger pin narrowed whereby the second shifter plate returns only par-t to its initial position and whereby an end of said second shifter plate engages the finger on the pivoted lever to prevent engagement of the idler wheel with the driving wheel.

9. The structure as defined in claim 6 including spring means urging said shifter plates to normally inoperative position, and wherein movement of the first push button moves the idler wheel away from the driving wheel.

l0. The structure as dened in claim 9, wherein operation of the second plunger returns the idler wheel to the largest diameter of the driving wheel, and wherein operation of the third and fourth plungers lifts the idler wheel alo-ng the driving wheel to the second and third diameters, respectively, and spring means urging the idler wheel downwardly and toward the driving wheel.

References Cited in the iile of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 

